Recipe of the Month: Banana Oat Pancakes

by GRP Biathlete Michaela Keller-Miller

Recipe adapted from Run Fast Cook Fast Eat Slow

Early morning training (and life) can be a challenge to properly fuel for. I usually find myself stuck in a routine of a sad bowl of oatmeal. There’s nothing wrong with monotony, especially if aforementioned sad oats contain enough carbs, protein, etc. to fuel a workout, but I find I need variety from time to time to start my mornings revitalized.

One of my favorite weekend or off day rituals is to make a big batch of pancake batter and save the extras for the next couple mornings. The recipe that I gravitate toward is a modified version of the Banana Oat Pancake recipe from the Run Fast Cook Fast Eat Slow cookbook by Elyse Kopecky and Shalane Flanagan. In my non-dietitian expert opinion, I find these pancakes to be a wonderful standalone before either training or a chill Sunday morning. However, if you’d like more protein or added variety, feel free to add yogurt on top or an extra egg on the side.

Ingredients:

1 ½ c rolled oats
½ c all-purpose or whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
½ t sea salt
1 c milk of choice*
~2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs (or flax eggs)**
2 T oil or butter, melted***
1 t vanilla
Optional: 1 t cinnamon
Add-ins (optional): fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, chocolate chips

*I’ve used whole milk, almond, oat, soy. All work great!
**If making with vegan friends, can sub 2 eggs for flax eggs (mix 1 tbsp ground flax with 2 tbsp water and let sit for a few minutes).
***If using oil, I like coconut oil (melted) or olive oil.

Instructions:

1. Add oats to a blender (immersion blenders work great!) until ground into a coarse flour-like consistency.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground oats, flour, baking powder, and salt (plus cinnamon, if using).

3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and whisk in the milk, eggs, melted butter or oil, and vanilla.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. If using any optional add-ins, stir into the batter. If you’re feeling patient, let the batter sit for 15 minutes (if not, you’ll be fine).

5. Heat a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add butter or oil and spread to coat the pan. Use a spoon to drop batter into the pan (or about a ¼ cup scoop). Cook pancakes until there are little bubbles forming in the pancakes (~3 mins); flip the pancakes and cook until both sides are nicely browned.

6. Once pancakes are cooked, load on some butter and maple syrup and add any other toppings that sound good (more fruit, yogurt, applesauce).

As I mentioned, I love saving the extra batter to stave off the return to oatmeal in the mornings to come. If you share your pancakes, there likely won’t be any left, so consider a double batch if you want leftovers!